The Flight To Adventure

Chapter 13 A Fine Hiding Place

  When they were behind the rocks, the children felt certain that they could not be seen and released their long caught breaths.
   Charles looked round and about,  the path they had taken the day before, lay a little to the left. They could reach it easily without being seen from below.
  "Come on" said Charles,choosing a path that put rocks and bushes between them and the valley below.
   " This way everyone" he guided them. Up the hot gully went the children and came to the ledge that ran around a steep bit of the mountain.They made their way round and once more saw the wonderful view they had seen before.Above them stood the ruined burnt farm house.Jenny carefully didn't look at it at all.It gave her a miserable feeling to see the blackened beams and walls.
They stood and listened for the sound of the waterfall.It came softly to their ears, a continuous musical sound, like a far off orchestra, playing a simple tune.
  "What a lovely sound" said Clara" Charles ,shall we climb down or up now. If you want to go to the foot of the waterfall and hide somewhere among the rocks there, we ought to climb down right?Last time we climbed up to that rocky stony bit."
    The boys stood and cosidered the situation. Than Jack said " It would perhaps be best if we went down this time. Those rocks just above the waerfall may be slippery to climb down, for they will be wet with the spray.We don't want to slip and we are carrying so many things that we havn't any free hands to use."
So they chose a way that led downwards. Charles went first finding the safest path, that he could,not that that there was any real path, ofcourse.
  As they came near to the waterfall, spray blew around them and let a fine wet mist on their hair. They were very hot with all the climbing and the cold spray felt awsome.
They rounded a corner and saw the whole cascading of the water at once.what a sight! Jenny drew a quick breath of awe and delight.
  "What a thunderous noise" said Jack, trying to make his voice heard"It makes me feel all excited."
  "It does me too" said Clara" as if i want to dance or something. It makes me want to shout and yell too."
  "Well, lets do it then" and immediately he began to shout like a mad man. The others did the same except Jenny. It was almost as if they were trying to out shout the tumbling roaring water.They soon stopped quite exhausted.
They were on a flat rock, which was wet with the flying spray.They were not nearly at the foot of the waterfall at all but about a quater a way up the fall.The noise filled their ears. All this seemed very exciting.
  "Well" said Jack at last, when they had gazed for enough time at the waterfall." Let's now think about a good hiding place. I must say, I don't think those men would ever dream of coming down here to look for us."
  They all looked about for a cave or mass of rocks behind which theh could hide.Jenmy looked a little doubtful.
  "I don't think that i could bear to hear this terrific noise, going on in my ears all the time." She said. "It makes me feel a bit dizzy." 
  " well, you will have to put up with the noise" said Jack" you will soon get used to it".
  Jenny looked quite worried. She was sure she would never get used to that thundering going on all the time.She would never, never be able to sleep through it.
They children wandered about by the waterfall, not going too near it because of the thick spray around it. They couldn't seem to find any good place to hide at all.All the rocks seemed to be wet and there seemed no comfortable spot in which to put their things.
  " Our rugs would be soaked in no time with the fine mist that hangs about the fall" said Clara "and we possibly can't lie on wet rugs. I am now beggining to think that it was not such a god idea afterall."
  Jack was climbimng a little higher. He came to where a giant fern grew. It hung down like a great green curtain and was lovely to see. Jack wondered whether they could hide behind it.
   He pushed aside the hanging green fronds and gave a shout at once. The others didn't hear it because of the noise of the water.
  " Golly" said Jack to himself" there is a cave behind these ferns and it will be quite dry becasue the ferns seem to screen it from the spray. It's like a great thick curtain. Hey everyone, come here"
  But again nobody heard him. Jack couldn't wait for them to pay attention.He went behind the hanging fronds and immediately found himself in a dim dry cave, with a fairly low roof and the moss growing on the floor. He felt it, it was dry. Probably when the fern died down in autumn, the spray flew into the cave and the moss grew damped and flourished well.but now it was like a soft, dry green bed.
" This is just exactly the place for us" said the boy delightedly"Absolutely marvellous. Nobody could possible see us here because the ferns hang down over the enerance and it was only quite by accident that i found it.It would be the most exciting place for us all."
   There was a ledge, running around one side of it, like a bench. " we could put all our things there, the tins and so on." Said Jack to himself " and when we will put down our rugs on this moss, we will definitely have a lovely bed.I really must tell the others.
It was quite time that he showed himself , for the others had now missed him and were  yelling at the top of their voices for him.
  "JACK, JACK, Where are you JACK?".
Jacl heard the voices as he pushed aside the fern fronds and looked out, just his head showing. Clara and Lili a
suddenly caught sight of his face, peering out of the ferns somehwere above them.
Lili gave a squak of surprise and flew upto him at once.Clara jumped.
" Look" she yelled to the others" Look where Jack is hiding behind that giant fern."
Jack put his hand to his mouth and yelled at the top of his voice, trying to drown the sound of the waterfall." Come on, up here everyone. I have found something marvellous."
  The others climbed up eagerly.Jack held aside the green fronds for them.
  " Won't you all come into my little home?" He asked politely.
They passed through the green curtain into the cave behind.Soon they all shouted out in delight and surprise.
  "What a lovely place. No one can ever find us here."
  "There is a soft green carpet on the floor. It's moss."
  " The roar of the water isn't so loud here. We can hear ourselves speak."
  "Glad you guys liked it"said Jack modestly."I found it quite by accident. It's marvellous isn't it."
It certainly was. Jenny was most relieved that the thunder of waterfall was lessened here.Clara was thrillled with the softness of the moss.Charles was really pleased by the safety of such a hiding place.
  "Let's go and fetch our things from the rocks, where we left them"said Clara, who always liked her belongings to be set neatly." There is plenty of room for them here.I shall put our tins of food on that rocky ledge."
  "We can only just stand upright" said Charles.He went to where the green fronds hung down over the entrance, making the cave more dark. He parted the fronds and at once a ray of sunshine fell into the cave, lighting it up well.
  " We can tie back some of the ferns so that we can get sun in the cave" said Charles" We have got a jolly good view of the waterfall from here and we can see everything around well, so that if anyone comes, we shall spot them at once"
  "I shall not mind living in such a place for a little while." Said Jsnny happily"  I feel safe here."
  "You may have to live here a ling while" said Charles.
  "Those men would never find us here" said Jack" Never."
  He tied back some fronds and the children sat down on the floor for a little while and the children enjoyed the sunshine that poured in now. The moss was like a cushion to sit on.
  After a bit, they all climbed down to where they had left their tins and rugs and other things. They carried them upto their new home. The girls arranged some stuff on the rocky ledge.
  "We shall have a lovely soft bed tonight"said Jenny" we ought to sleep jolly well here."
After setting down everything, they all sat down for a meal, for they all were feeling quite hungry now. They took out a few tins.
  Jack felt for his tin opener"Don't loose it ever my boy. It's our most precious possession at the moment."
  "Don't worry I shall not loose it ever" said Jack as he opened a tin.
Lili watched him , excitedly, with her head on one side. She liked these tins.
They had most exciting things inside.
Soon they  were all sitting and eating hungrily. It was nice to sit there munching away, with a lovely view outside, the soft moss beneath them and the warm sun on their bare legs.
  "I really hope Aunt Hills and Bill are not much worried about us" said Jack"If only we could get word to them."
  "We can't" said Charles" we are stuck here all alone, with no means of getting into touch with anyone except these two men, as far as i can see."
"Thank God we have got plenty of food now" said Clara.
" We would better get back to that bush, where we dumped the rest of the tins and fetch them here as soon as we can." Said Jack" what we have brought with us won't last us more than today. Will you girls be allright, if Charles and i go along and get whatever we can. We shall not be able to bring them all at one go . We will have to make several journeys.
" Yes, we shall be quite alright here" said Clara" you set off this afternoon. You can leave Lili here with us."